the SPACE. Jungle Oasis — Restaurant in San Juan del Sur (Municipio)

Edit 10.28.24 to respond to owner's comment because, for some reason I cannot directly reply:

My updated review was from my recent stay Oct. 3-Oct. 7, 2024. I could post the email screenshots confirming my reservation from your staff or credit card statements but I do not want to publicly post personal information. You can check your billing records and you will find my credit card charged, or check your emails/WhatsApp messages from the business, or ask Julio and Kevin. My original review was from 2021 when I actually did stay for one night (whether you were officially open or not, I do not know, but I definitely stayed there then, too). It would not let me post a second review so I updated my review from 2021 to reflect my recent stay which began on October 3, 2024.

Booked a private room with AC and it was disgusting. The towels had what looked like sauce stains, the toilet was filthy and had hair all over it (see photos), the shower was filthy, the bathroom was CAKED in black mold (see photos), and there was mold in the main part of the room too. The smell was terrible for however long I was there (4 or 5 days), even with all of the wall fans and air conditioner running 24/7. Wifi barely worked in the room and the mattress was harder than the sidewalks in SJDS.

For booking their most expensive room, i was disappointed. Would have been better off booking an Airbnb or paying $5/night for a hostel (which I've done before), because those are cleaner than this room was and at least don't have mold.

Im not joking when I say that room I was in (Room 5) would have been condemned in most countries.

The only reason I don't give it less stars is because the staff were awesome. Especially Julio the bartender and Kevin at the front desk.

For the record, I lived in Nicaragua for 6 years and I'm not high maintenance, but even I couldn't believe how bad the room was.

For the record, the photos I attached were from immediately when I first walked in the room.

Bar and common area is...

The Space is an absolutely wonderful hostel. My partner and I stayed there for 7 days and we both agreed it is probably one of the best hostels we have ever been to. The rooms and shared spaces are nice, modern, and clean. While there is no outside food allowed, the kitchen always has really affordable options on the menu and the quality of the food is really good, we really enjoyed it. There’s also always coffee ready in the morning when you wake up which is something we appreciate. We really enjoyed all the preplanned activities making this hostel a very social environment with always something fun to do! The yoga with Bernie was wonderful and all the staff were A+ and very accommodating. Maria even helped me to organize a shuttle from Costa Rica to Nicaragua and was texting with me quite frequently about it, answering all my questions. The only negative thing I have to say about our time there which wasn’t really a reflection of the hostel but more so their selected services is I would NOT reccomend you to get laundry done there. It seemed extremely overpriced, I’m not sure the laundry lady even weighed my clothes, some of the clothes still came back dirty and had bits of tissue all over them. Not to mention, all of my clothes came back smelling like smoke. Usually when I get laundry service done I’m extremely impressed but this was my worst experience getting laundry without doubt. I would reccomend to get your laundry done in town for much better prices and better service from the...

Since this is a new hostel, I'll give a detailed review to help others expectations. Pros: Beautiful space Brand new facility Nice pool Very clean Excellent food Staff are friendly and kind Dorm rooms have their own fan above bed Dorm rooms have their own nice bathroom Breakfast is included and very small

Cons: This hostel is not a usual backpackers hostel. It is more like a resort than a hostel. There are no food options nearby. There is not shared kitchen to cook your own food. Outside food and drink is not allowed. Their restaurant has delicious food but is about $8 per small meal which is expensive for Nicaragua. The free shuttle goes into town and runs every two hours or so. The shuttle stops after 5:30pm so for dinner you have to eat at the Space or try to eat early in town. We booked this place somewhat last minute because there were no other options nearby.

Overall you will be paying more for food and accommodation than at an average hostel. Keep expectations and budget in mind when booking as it is not a typical hostel. You will be spending money on more than just a bed.

Recommendation for the hostel: Make some of the food more affordable. Upon booking please let guests know that there is a free shuttle to the hostel from the town. Many other people we met were unaware of the free shuttle and unfortunately had...